


The Vulture

by AbysswalkerAstraea



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Blood of Zeus (Cartoon)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Brothers, Dominance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hot Sex, Large Cock, Murder, Prayer, Slow Burn, Survival, Twelve Gods of Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:48:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbysswalkerAstraea/pseuds/AbysswalkerAstraea
Summary: Ceres paused. The bloodred eyes of a vulture gazed unwaveringly at her, perched atop a wooden roof and unperturbed by the attention it now received from her."Did you save me? Are..are you a God?" Her voice was but a quivering whisper, her body far too fearful to move closer to the large creature. It didn't move. It stared through her, eyes alight and all knowing.≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾"Another human war, I see. I often wonder, do we Gods keep Earthly souvenirs to reminisce upon?" Artemis' tone was light, even if the undertone portrayed a double edged meaning.Those pools of blood narrowed at her dangerously, but only just.
Relationships: Apollo/Ares (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)/Original Female Character(s), Apollo/Ares (Blood of Zeus)/You, Apollo/Ares/Hermes (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Apollo/Hermes (Blood of Zeus), Ares (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)/Original Character(s), Ares (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)/Reader, Ares/Artemis (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Heron (Blood of Zeus)/You
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Saviour

**Author's Note:**

> Hoiii, I've started an Ares fanfic! Our warrior boy needs more love. His brothers seem to be stealing the show! 
> 
> So to clarify before we begin:
> 
> Ares is depicted as a VULTURE in this fic.
> 
> There are themes of ATTEMPTED RAPE, but NOT by Ares or any of the Gods. 
> 
> I looked at an ancient Greece map and picked the town Epirus because why not. Everything I write about the place is fictional so don't compare it to real mythology or history! 
> 
> Oh and there will be smut obviously 🖤
> 
> k bye x

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ceres was going to die. Her town had been ransacked, her neighbours murdered, and no soldier guarded this little poli. 
> 
> She couldnt hear much; that beastial man upon her had slapped her so hard she felt dazed. This was it, then.
> 
> Except, the men were torn off of her violently. Dead.
> 
> In their wake, a large, terrifying vulture.

War was an abominable thing. Mindless, catastrophic and inhumane. It morphed men into beasts and people into selfish, sinful creatures desperately clutching at survival. War tore through the facade of humans; ripped out the monster within, capable of murder, genocide, sodomy, rape.

Sin truly was chained within the very dregs of a humans soul. It contaminated them, tainted them. And even now, with the innocents screaming and children crying as their mothers were hacked down like livestock, sin had captured the very hearts of men.

Ceres ran desperately through the blood and guts littering her hometown, bypassing the remains of neighbours corpses and blazing houses, the fire lighting the village like a horror from the underworld.

She didn't know why this was happening, nor how it began. She didn't understand why one moment she was carrying a stack of hay to her favourite horses, beautiful and hazel coloured, and then the next the monstrous screams of women pierced the air so horrifically that the horses began fleeing in fright. 

A shadow of darkness followed closely behind her sprinting form, trailing her like a predator in search of its next feed. She could hear the violent swings of axes slice through the necks of the many shopkeepers littered around the simple market area, could hear the smashing of crated fruit or sheltered stalls shattering to the ground from the sheer force of wrath these barbaric raiders demonstrated. 

War was an unfortunate part of life. But to attack an unguarded village and pillage it? Ceres had little time to spit at the mere thought as the galloping and huff of the horses grew closer. The shadow behind her morphed into a small group of armoured men, chasing her through the many slim alleyways and bends.

She was going to die. It was by luck that the town was filled with these narrow walkways, allowing her room to slip away from the screaming horde. Why did the Gods allow this?

Ceres could hardly breathe. Her chest felt as though it were about to cave, her breaths burning her throat from the constant exertion of running and stumbling through the gore filled market. 

"Get her!" They screamed. 

Ceres was panicking now, clumsily falling over planks of broken wood and trashed stalls that lay askew upon the floor. Her shins were cut deeply from the amount of time she fell and dragged herself up again. There was no way out of this; if she were to pray for her life, now would be the time. 

Sprinting and crashing into various objects that lay in her path, Ceres barreled around one corner, then another, briefly out of sight from those murdering fiends. Scrambling to a dimly lit, broken down stall in the shaded area of the west side, quiet market, Ceres crawled beneath the barely standing stall, shrouded in debris and various fabrics of clothes that would have been sold that very day.

It was hot, disgustingly so, as was the natural heat of the seaside town, Epirus, know in tales for its blessing from the Sun God. His warmth forever shone and illuminated the town. However, under the various layers of fabric and quilts, alongside the collapsing wooden structure - it was suffocating. 

The thundering hooves of the horses bypassed her. A few stopped, noted by their shouts and screams to find her. They were close. Even if half the group had dispersed, she still had at least three or four armoured men after her. There was no chance. She'd either die by their axes or live to be a trophy, used and defiled until their next catch. 

Ceres shuddered violently, hands clasped together in prayer. She didn't know who to beg for help - would they even listen? - she didn't know if Gods truly answered the calls of lowly humans.

The nearby structures of her hideout were getting smashed violently in evident temper, and it wasn't long before they made their way over to her own, a stall hidden stealthily beside a wall. 

"She's here. I can smell the bitches fear." One of them snarled, axe splitting the wood of a nearby shops support beam and tearing it to the ground in a series of terrifying, loud noises. Ceres slapped a hand over her gasping mouth, eyes wide in fear.

"S'probably the smell of her whore cunt." The men guffawed in all their vile glory, the laughs of these evil men sending true terror blossoming through her stomach at such sickening words. They were going to use her, defile her, and, and--

Ceres closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks like springs of water. Legs curled in on herself, the woman shook violently, hands clasped together once more and squeezed so hard her knuckles turned white. 

"Please, please, Gods of Olympus, help me, save me from this sinister fate.." her lips mouthed the words in silent prayer, hoping, begging. 

Nothing happened.

Ceres lips quivered, throat threatening to release a torrent of ugly hiccups and gasps as she sobbed as silently as possible into her hands. The footsteps were so close she could hear the men breathing harshly, quite literally the other side of the wood. They kicked at the fabric covering her hideout, muttering irritably.

"Please, help me.." she weeped. War was a horrific thing. Why had fate chosen such a brutal ending for her? 

A sudden daze overcame Ceres. She was sprawled upon the floor, head splitting into a piercing pain. And..blood? Blood was cascading down her temple. 

The sun was upon her. Her hideout was gone. The men had destroyed the stall, unbeknownst to them one had kicked an armoured leg through the wood and connected brutally with her temple. 

Ceres screamed. Her delirious form scrambled to its feet, barely, attempting to run like a caged animal, only to be grabbed by burly hands and thrown to the stone ground roughly, knocking the back of her head into a bloodied puddle.

"Help me! Somebody!" She screamed, even as the lower part of her dress was tugged upwards obscenely to bear her thighs under her thrashing form. The men were spewing words of violence at her, but all that permeated her mind was a white noise. 

"Gods, anybody, please!"

"There are no Gods, Epirote wench." A crack of a hand against her jaw sent her head sprawling to one side, crimson oozing from her nose and down to her mouth. 

"Please, Gods of Olympus, help me! I--"

"Is she imbecilic? Your Gods won't save you, whore, now open your legs." The accented man above her spat, a second harsh slap hitting her hard enough to split her lip and force her cheek to the ground. 

Ceres openly weeped, thrashing and writhing against the mans ministrations, but to no avail. Her head lolled back in defeat; there was no escape. Her mind and body felt numb as she waited for the monster above her to do his business and be done with it. Ceres squeezed her eyes shut in fear of the imminent intrusion of the male. 

It never came. 

The grabbing, vile hands of those barbaric men were suddenly lifted from her bloodied form, torn violently from up her skirts and disappearing altogether as though it were a dream. 

The screaming was surreal. The sounds of pulverising flesh and blood splattering the floor resounded throughout the small, narrow alley, heavy, loud thudding footsteps in the aftermath of the bloodbath. 

Ceres was shaking, tears burning her cheeks from the amount that endlessly flowed. Rising shakily to her feet, Ceres tugged down her ripped skirts as modestly as possible, glancing warily and anxiously around the vicinity for a source of the sudden pile of dead men upon the floor.

But how? There was nobody here, there wasnt even--

Ceres paused. The bloodred eyes of a vulture gazed unwaveringly at her, perched atop a wooden roof and unperturbed by the attention it now received from her. Ceres halted, a hand to her chest from the fright of discovering such a vicious bird. She didn't know if she was simply mad or delirious from blood loss, but..

"Did you save me? Are..are you a God?" Her voice was but a quivering whisper, her body far too fearful to move closer to the large creature. It didn't move. It stared through her, eyes alight. 

Ceres began to feel idiotic. God or not, this vulture surely did something to those men. Breathing shallowly, Ceres spoke again. "My--my name is Ceres. Not that it's important; I'm talking to a vulture, after all." Her tone was rather clumsy, immature. Still, what pride had she left after these events? It mattered not.

"I just.. thank you. For saving me from those disgusting men. Will you.." she hesitated, furiously wiping the tears streaks from her face. "Will you help me? I need..need to help the others. The village is under attack."

Her voice was desperate, as though she truly believed a bird would answer her call and end the tyrannical bastard who insisted on pillaging her home. As expected, the predator did nothing. Ceres felt the fresh bout of tears cascade helplessly down her cheeks before she could stop them. 

She was so illogical, deluded. Rubbing her face, she kneeled to scavenge a sword and dagger from one of the corpses on the ground. She tucked the dagger into her dress easily enough, but it was evident in the way she wrongly held the heavy sword that she had no idea how to wield it.

Shakily, Ceres gripped it so tightly it hurt. Her eyes were suddenly solemn. "If you are no God, then leave; off with you. You'll get injured here. Fly away - I wish I could." Ceres smiled sadly, before turning away and leaving.

A crackle of something ominous resounded in the air. Turning back, the vulture was gone.


	2. Watchful Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ceres was perhaps luckier than she had thought. This..bird - vulture - had brought her food. How..?
> 
> She didn't ponder on it for long. She was merely thankful that the Gods had came to her aid, whether by vulture or not.
> 
> All the while, Apollo and Hermes watch with growing interest. That is, until their eldest brother confronts them in a very ares-like manner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ares is older than his siblings in this fic. Also I added Artemis, no idea what her personality should be depicted as so I went with a typical soft, kind of underlying sarcastic type of goddess. 
> 
> I am all for sibling relations in this fic

The town was a cesspool of blood and death. Even children, mere baby's, were not spared the sinful wrath of men. Ceres foolishly took the time to gently nudge them out of the main path, ensuring their little bodies are not pulverised by horses. 

Naively, Ceres thought protecting the corpses would allow for a proper burial. Perhaps..some would survive and she'd help rebuild the village. Even now, the thought was shattered into hopeless pieces; she hadn't seen one living person yet, other than the cause of the cacophonic clash of swords on the outskirts of the town, in the fields decorated in crimson. 

But survivors? None. Ceres shuddered, gripped her sword and ran. The entirety of her home had been ransacked and stripped of all its glory. It was a small town, homely, everybody knew each other. The soldiers had left long ago, merging with that of another town miles and miles up the road.

Evidently, this attack on Epirus was not expected, nor was it calculated. There was nothing here but townspeople; no coin, heaps of food, nothing. The attackers had done this simply for bloodlust. 

Ceres didn't want to imagine the mind numbing devastation the soldiers would face upon seeing their town and families torn to shreds. In fact, Ceres didn't think she could stomach this place anymore. The deathly silence was too much, the remnants of good people ceasing to exist was too great a pain. 

Sparing a final glance at her place of birth, Ceres ran and settled herself upon a nearby horse - its origins unknown, but certainly not born from this town - and took off in a wild gallop towards the thick trees of forest in opposition to the beautiful sea. Ceres was either escaping, or trapping herself further in land. She didn't know yet, but taking a boat and riding the waves was not an option. She had heard the tales of what monstrosities reside in the dark depths. 

Likewise, this forest was forbidden from entering, too. There was no time to think about it. Glancing back nervously as the stallion rode towards the enshrouding greenery, Ceres gasped upon seeing a group of three trailing her, far behind. 

The horse galloped as far as it could, given the thick bushes and winding tree trunks that littered the floor. It did not stop until only an ounce of light trickled through the trees, and all was silent. Even so, the forest took a sudden incline up a steep hill, cliff edges overlooking a far drop down onto the next valley. Sighing, Ceres wearily dropped from the horses back and patted it thankfully. 

She had to move on. 

\------------------

It was night time when Ceres finally made a stop beneath an arched tree, dipping so low its branches brushed the ground pessimistically. The ominous howls of far away wolves further up the mountainside echoed as far down as the forestry she was settled within.

Ceres curled against the old tree branches, shrouded by them. There was a small opening to crawl out of, and Ceres briefly wondered if this was an animals home. Her stomach grumbled painfully and her hands stung with cuts and splinters. 

Her dress was in obscene tatters. No longer was the garment modest and pale green. No, it was now a dirty, stained mixture of brown and red from muck and blood, its length having been ripped off from her shins to her mid thigh from various falls and the makeshift bandage she had used out of ripping a piece of the ragged fabric off, wrapping it tightly around her blistering feet. 

She had the dagger, at least, and a sword which weighed her down more than it protected her. If she could wait until morning, perhaps she could hunt - not that she's ever done it before - or even find some fruit.

It was a sharp snap of piled twigs which had her jolting from a relaxed, albeit uncomfortable half slumber. Boots crunched the dry wood and grass, edging the perimeter of her secluded hideout. Ceres gripped the sword in hand, heart pounding at the increased volume of whoever was stalking around out there.

Peering through the thick, heavy tree branches, Ceres held a hand to her mouth at the darkened silhouette of an impossibly large form. A bear. Oh God.. 

And then it was silent for far too long. Minutes turned into what felt like hours until Ceres crawled out from beneath the tree, sword gripped shakily in two hands. 

Red eyes stared down at her from across the green patch of grass.

Ceres blinked, pushing herself to her feet. It was the vulture, the same one from earlier. How had it found her? Odd. She was certain she had seen a bear or..something bigger. Perhaps it was the birds shadow, enhanced and made bigger by the faint moonlight.

But the footsteps? How--

The vulture cawed, nudging at a pile of berries and apples upon the floor. Ceres blinked at the absurdity of the situation, tentatively creeping over to the giant bird. It was far bigger than any vulture she had ever seen. "For me? Thank you." She smiled, dropping to her knees to pick up a green apple.

The vulture watched with its all knowing eyes, though its mannerisms appeared oddly bored, or merely stoic. Perhaps the gods had sent it to help her. "Well, you're certainly no ordinary vulture, are you? When you return home, thank your Gods for me. They must certainly be proud to have such an intelligent pet." Ceres giggled lightly, biting into the apple eagerly. 

Ceres didn't believe that birds could huff irritably, but this one did. Apparently, her words were not what it wanted to hear. Almost as a form of chastisement, the vulture picked at the juiciest Berry of the pile and popped it, gauging her reaction. 

Ceres raised her brows, remained unperturbed by its behaviour. "Sorry, I suppose you have no owner, then. Still, I'm thankful to the heavens. And you, of course. Even if you do appear particularly angry."

The vulture was oddly expressive. It appeared genuinly irritated at her babbling words. Its menacing beak popped another berry, before it huffed and flew away. 

Ceres couldn't help but smile, regardless. At least she had food and a new friend.

\-----------------

"He has taken an interest, has he not?"

"And in a human, no less. How peculiar of our dear brother."

"He is not one to fraternise with them; he peers amongst them the least."

"True. Perhaps he is bored, inquisitive. That human woman surely would've perished if not for him. Now, however, she appears to be surviving well enough, and all alone, too." 

"It was her crossroad; I'd say a spark of interest has been ignited. You know how he is, looking down upon them. Her survival has gained his attention, even if for a brief moment."

"Brothers, are you inciting the wrath of our oldest sibling again? You know he has little tolerance for you two, especially when you are speaking furtively of him like cowards." Artemis smiled warmly, hovering almost instantaneously to her twin brother, Apollo's, side. The two always had a strange connection, never straying far from the other.

Much like the sun and moon. 

Hermes greeted his half sister with a tender smile, gesturing down to the land of humans with a simple nod. "Furtive, perhaps. Can you truly blame us, sister? He is known for harbouring murderous feelings towards us ." 

Apollo chuckled, brushing his perfectly kept golden hair behind him. "He does have his way with affection, does he not? I cannot help but feel curious, however, at the display he demonstrated to the human woman. Nary an ounce of aggression or threat." 

Artemis tilted her head, moving as fluid as water to the circular perimeter walls of Olympus as she peered down through the clouds, the moons rays illuminating her being beautifully. "He is an easily read man, but even I cannot gauge his plots as of late. Though, truthfully, it isn't as though he confers to any of his siblings." She sighed. 

"Let us not start with that, sister; we cannot blame him when he is under the scrutiny of Hera. He is our brother, regardless of how much he is told to cast us aside." Hermes defended gently; it wasn't as though he got along with the man, but he was always there for when his eldest brothers wrath ceased one day. He'd be there with open arms. 

Artemis folded her arms and gave Apollo a knowing look. Her golden twin shrugged half heartedly, as though they were speaking without words. Apollo had grown accustomed to their silent conversations and said nothing on the matter, peering down at the blood eyed vulture flying through the skies.

There was no doubt that the man of the hour would appear very soon. 

"I bid you both goodnight. Do stay on his best side." Artemis warned before taking her leave. 

There was a loud crackle in the air, splitting the very atoms, before a thunderous boom of boots hit the white marble floor with an intense presence. 

The cerulean eyes of the goddess juxtaposed with crimson red staring back at her. Artemis' cool demeanour remained unwavering in the ireful gaze of her oldest brother. She knew him enough to know that he did not always mean to peer at her, or their siblings, with such disgust. Not always. 

"Ares." Artemis smiled in passing, her long locks appearing white in the moonlight. "Another human war, I see. I often wonder, do we Gods keep Earthly souvenirs to reminisce upon?" Her tone was light, even if the undertone portrayed a double edged meaning. 

Those pools of blood narrowed at her, but only just. His searching gaze was lifted once more from her shorter frame, eyes set dead upon his two half brothers watching the entire ordeal with nervous anticipation. Ares could sense the slight defensive anger raising in Artemis' twin, Apollo. 

The God of War bypassed her silently until his taller frame stood before his younger brothers. Apollo and Hermes shared a glance. 

"You watched me. What is it that you two bastards are planning? Your secretive plots rival those of the lowly humans." Ares spoke coolly, face a mask of stoicism. The hand gripping his war hammer tensed. 

Hermes raised his hands as a symbol of peace, standing stiffly at Apollo's side. "We did not converse sinisterly, if that is what you're implying."

"We are, however, curious at your sudden interest in a mortal woman. It isn't often you run to the aid of those who pray, nor feed them." Apollo added a tad condescendingly, unlike his much more sincere brother, Hermes. 

Those red orbs narrowed dangerously, mouth fixed into a sharp line. "The nature of war does not reside with you two misfits; I was present, thus I intervened. I do not condone such acts of defilement upon women. You have my mother to thank for that." 

Hermes nodded with a turse smile, letting the conversation end there. Apollo did not. "And what of the food you provided? There is no reason to be humiliated, brother; I am curious. You do not often take interest in many things these days." 

In a flash of black and a violent swing of gold - Hermes had saw it coming- Ares had his strong hand gripped around the circular, golden accessory adorning the Sun Gods neck, holding together his white Cape. The action was rough enough to jerk the man into a stumbling fall, held almost above ground by the taller God of War, who sneered in the face of his half brother. 

"You will keep out of my business, bastard, lest you face the wrath of my war hammer instead of my heeding tongue." Ares snarled through clenched teeth, his tone as dark as his charcoal armour. 

"Ares, let him go; it is my fault, I was curious. There is no need for conflict, brother, you have already won the mortal war, do not bring it home." Hermes spoke firmly, pale hand gripping the shoulder of his older brother in light warning. 

Ares scoffed, pushing the tanned God to the side and brushing Hermes' hand away from his form. His face became stoic once more, like freshly tiled marble with nary a crack. 

Without another word and a final, warning glare of ire, Ares retreated to his side of Olympus, leaving the two brothers to glance at each other cautiously and sigh. 

"Truly, I'm certain his hatred for you has simply doubled and rebounded onto me." Apollo huffed, righting his ruffled appearance into its prisitne condition once more.

Hermes shrugged lightly. It appeared that no one could predict the God of Wars temper, or his next victim, for that matter. 

Ares stormed through the outside perimeter like a turbulent wind, all Gods and Goddesses making way for the frustration that radiated off of him like the suns rays. There was only one woman foolish enough to get in his way, excluding his mother.

It prompted Ares to stop beside the moonlit Goddess who stood peacefully in front of him, preventing passage. "I know you believe to be above us; Hera states it enough. So be it. But we are all here for you, whether your excessive pride can accept it or not." Artemis spoke gently, sapphire eyes peering down upon Earth.

"I do not require assistance." Ares growled, scowling down at Earth alongside his sister. 

Artemis sighed, peering up at her beloved moon. She turned in her step and met his bloodied eyes head on. "I am not here to quell your childish persistence upon such matters. Just know, that we are here. If my company invokes such ire, then I will leave."

Artemis felt at her wits end with this man. It was not his fault; Olympus had cast him aside for the most part. They despised his violence, his brutality. His own father named him as his least favourite. The only true person he had, the one he'd kneel to, was that vindictive woman, Hera. 

Artemis couldn't blame the man for worshiping his own mother. Still, Ares' constant aggressive and belittling comments were becoming insufferable.

Turning to leave, Artemis set her sights on the beautiful waterfalls below, close to her temple. That is, until a rare, uncertain hand gripped her shoulder with a gentleness she hadn't known since Ares was a mere boy, and she a toddler. 

Artemis turned slowly, face a picture of surprise and warmth. Ares hesitated, his red eyes staring at the hand upon her shoulder. "I will heed your words, sister. You have my gratitude." Ares bit out forcefully. It was sincere, but the effort appeared difficult. 

For a moment, the God of War appeared embarrassed. It caused the Goddess to giggle lightly, a delicate hand shielding her mouth at the mans tinged red expression. "Now was that so hard? I think not." She smiled warmly, glossed lips opening beautiful and reflecting the light of the stars. 

Ares froze as her smaller frame wrapped itself around his own in a soft embrace, an arm moving to wrap around the Gods broad back. Ares returned the gesture with one arm, resting upon her waist for a brief moment before pulling away. 

With a final smile, Artemis departed.

Apollo and Hermes stared from afar in bewilderment. "Perhaps you ought to be as brave as your twin." Hermes mumbled.

"I will leave the moon do as she pleases. Me and Ares are physical enough as it is, I would rather we not increase such an occurrence." Apollo shuddered. It caused his brother to smile in amusement. 

From afar, the faint caws of crows resounded from the centre of Olympus. Staring down with narrowed eyes was Hera herself, scrutinising her son and Artemis.

And then, as though the vindication in her eyes was dried up by the sun itself, her sharp features depicted cool nonchalance once more, and she, too, retreated. 

Zeus allowed himself a small quirk of his lips. Perhaps the boy had more hope than he once thought. Peering down to Earth at the human woman curled up beside her half eaten pile of fruit, settled within the thick tree branches, Zeus could only wonder how this would play out. 

Thankfully, Hera demonstrated little care towards what her favourite child did in his spare time. Good. 

The God of War sat within the confines of his grand bedroom, overlooking Olympus through finely crafted, embellished glass. And then his eyes shifted to earth. 

Perhaps he'd pay a third visit soon.


	3. Is That Not Your Pet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was surely the gods will, introducing her to animal friends along her journey. Though, peculiarly, your fox friend seemed to avoid the Vulture.
> 
> The hand of fate had dealt her a harsh hand indeed; if not for that giant shadow, who knows what those men would've done to her.
> 
> And yet..were the crimson eyes staring down at her friendly, or not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ares! He's here, he's handsome and he's fucking pissed at his brothers laughing at him

It had been at least a week of surviving within the emerald forest, and Ceres was surprised to find that it wasn't as hard as she once thought. 

Of course, that mysterious vulture brought her fruit now and again, which helped. Ceres had even made a friend, a little red fox named Alina, for she was her beacon of hope and light. She was a fickle creature, disappeared for days on end, but always came back.

She didn't truly believe her to be a pet, for the fox could leave at any time, but for now Ceres was grateful for the company. In fact, the more time she spent away from humans, the better Ceres felt. The events of last week haunted her in her nightmares sometimes, such as how her life would be vastly different if that peculiar bird hadn't saved her.

It was the past. There was no time to dwell on it. All week, Ceres had attempted to hone her survival skills, as horrendous as they were. She couldnt even start a fire, or hunt. She had resorted to picking the scraps off of whatever small rodent Alina had caught, or eating the fruit the vulture often gifted to her.

Perhaps this was harder than she thought, then. Without her two animal friends, she'd probably starve to death. The positive side is she found a beautiful, quiet lake in the very centre of the forest, free of any human or animal. She had came across the odd black bear, but they were friendly enough. She merely passed them by at a distance and they allowed passage. 

Ceres hadnt moved since finding the beautiful, crystal clear lake. She had stayed for days, turning into almost two weeks, and simply lived around the pool. Her dress was in horrendous tatters now, but Ceres found that she spent most of her time tending to forming shelter instead. 

Of course, it wasn't easy. It was pathetic, really, given how her apparent 'home' was quite littering a few branches tied together by weaved leafs and the thin layers of bark she had cut from the trees to make multiple, small ropes. 

Ceres deadpanned at the mere sight of the collapsing hut. If she curled up enough, she had shelter. The raining season was upon Epirus even before she had ran to the forest. Ceres was thankful that she had taken the time to build the horrible little hut to protect her from the torrential rainfall. 

Today was a day unlike any other. The rain seemed to pelt down mercilessly, unforgiving against the ground. The forest was so loud with the sound of rustling trees and violent rain brushing every leaf. Ceres simply could not sleep because of it. 

And then, through the haze the rain had created, Ceres could see those familiar, blood red eyes staring at her. The woman practically leapt to her feet, almost knocking her pitiful shelter to the ground. She hadn't seen the vulture in four, long days!

She hardly cared that the stinging rain tore into her ragged attire and made it cling go her body in the most scantily of ways. The fabric had became a worn green, almost like a dirty white, and was no doubt doing very little to shield her body from the sights of anyone who walked by.

Thankfully, nobody was stupid enough to cross into the forest. Running to the large bird that perched itself languidly within the rain, Ceres crouched beside it with a smile, dropping a dead rat in front of it.

"Its not much, I know; keep your judgement to yourself, but I managed to capture it myself! It's a thank you present, for all that you've done." Ceres rambled amiably, shouting over the loud rain. 

The vulture eyed the rodent with a look of disgust before returning its oddly expressive eyes back to her. Ceres remained unperturbed by its behaviour. Suddenly, the woman sat upon her knees and looked behind her, towards the hut.

"Oh, I forgot, I've made a new friend! Her name is Alina, shes--" Ceres paused. The hut was empty. Had the fox ran off again? In this rain? Ceres sighed. "Well, she's gone, evidently. Still, she's a beautiful fox, much more cheery than you, no doubt." Ceres teased the unresponsive bird as though it would simply talk back, like a human. 

The vulture narrowed its eyes. 

Ceres wondered how many animals on Olympus could understand humans. 

\-----------------

Alas, peace would not reign forever, Ceres knew. It had been a month and a half now, she guessed, and for the most part she had became accustomed to gathering wood, starting a fire, tempting little squirrels or if she was feeling bold, rabbits, with fruit or scraps of meat, and capturing them. 

It was a far cry from her life a month ago. The loneliness had became comforting, the forest her home. Her mind was set on the next poli, regardless. Alina began to visit a lot these days, perhaps in pity of how little the vulture visited. Well, it was best not to form attachments to these animals. 

Eating a leg of rabbit and lost in a trail of thought, Ceres did not realise the sudden footsteps crunching the twigs upon the ground, until Alina perked up in a motion of alertness. Ceres didn't stay to find out who, or what, was closeby.

The two departed swiftly, hidden within the greenery. 

Two days later, Ceres found herself at a cliffside, overlooking a vast, mountainous valley with a small poli sectioned in the middle. It was colder here, but not by much. It must've been the altitude. The town appeared nice enough, even if it was shrouded in a peculiar fog.

Glancing to the skies, Ceres saw no trace of fog anywhere. Yet there was a perfect circle of if around this particular poli. Odd, but it was her best chance of reintroducing herself to civilisation and getting her broken bones and bruises fixed. Her wrist had been broken for some time, it often pained her severely. The berries gifted to her by that lonesome vulture always helped, even if it disappeared before she had awakened.

A deep ravine separated the cliff she resided on, and the stretch of land which merged in with the valleys surrounding the poli. In the far distance, Ceres could see that if a few days time, she'd be out of the forest and on bare land. 

Thats what she hoped for. It did not come without hardship, however. 

On that very night, Ceres had walked her feet to the point of fresh blisters, cradling a foot in her hands and picking out the painful bits of wood that had managed to cut through the rags she wrapped around her feet.

Ceres began to undress; there was a softly flowing river beside her, and she was in desperate need of cleanliness to ensure she did not resemble a forest monster. Tugging the scraps of dress from over her head, Ceres descended into the cool water with a sigh, sitting upon a rock softened by erosion from the waters currants as her feet dipped into the water comfortably, easing her blistering soles.

The moon was high and bright tonight; Ceres thanked the Goddess Artemis heavily for the light she gave to her in this darkened forest, bathing beneath the ethereal rays of light that seemed to shine upon the river.

Thats when she heard voices. At first, she believed it to be a figment of her imagination; the footsteps were loud enough to alert her that two men were nearby, however. Ceres shrunk down beneath a rock, wishing for darkness, wishing to he hidden.

"Saw her run earlier on, I did. Left a good hefty leg of rabbit, too. A real beauty, she was." An accented man rambled, stumbling upon the rocks. They were soldiers; their armour and weapons clanged loudly against the rocks. 

"We've been chasing her for far too long. She can't be far. Once we've retrieved the woman for--" Ceres could barely hear the name they uttered, for it was whispered. "Then he'll leave us the fuck alone. The mans obsessed, I tell you. Even a good fuck isn't worth this much hassle."

Ceres cringed and grimaced at the men, shrinking down in the water until only her nose and upper head stayed out. Oddly, a cloud had moved to block the moons light. That was just the luck she needed, in fact. 

"Yeah, ain't that the truth. Still, something about disgracing her cousins family or whatever. He killed the lot; only she lives. I don't know, the man is as vindictive as they get." Another snorted, gaining closer now.

"Wonder what the poor bastard did to have his entire family get slaughtered. Must've been severe."

Ceres frowned. She had no recollection of these cousins. 

"He probably fucked the boss' wife. Or his daughter, maybe. I hear she's pretty."

"Stupid man. What was his name? Marcus, I think."

Ceres was beyond confused. This cousin they spoke of was distant at best. She had met him three times in her life and yet..a bloodthirsty barbarian was stubborn on retrieving her as an act of vengeance? 

She had to get out of here, there was no way she was atoning for the sins her distant cousin created. 

"Shes camped here, I can smell the fire. You go over there, ill stay here for the little wench."

Ceres was glad she had her dagger. Moving slowly through the water, Ceres watched the mans every move from the darkened rocks. He was tall, burly. He could deal a lot of damage to her. She had to dress, had to run. 

Perhaps her eagerness to leave got the better of her. When she glanced back to the rocks above, he was gone. Ceres felt her heart plummet. The rough, agonising jerk of her hair had the water sloshing loudly as her nude form was torn from the water, and thrown onto the muddy banking.

Ceres squealed, kicking the man as he climbed atop her body and began roving his eyes across her skin with disgusting mirth. "Well then, I think I'll have you here." His words struck her like poison.

Ceres gasped and attempted to hit the man across the head, but to no avail. His armoured legs pinned her thighs down, and soon his arms had her wrists biting into the ground. A single hand roamed across her chest. Ceres felt the fresh tears cascade down her cheeks as she reached out for the dagger upon the floor, in a heap of her clothes. 

The man began whispering filthy nothings to her, promises of impending rape. 

There was a flash. Ceres didn't even bother to look at what it was. The sound of something heavy, a body, was tossed into the water. The man above her cursed colourfully, lifting himself somewhat to see the commotion. 

Ceres squirmed and grabbed the knife. The man didn't even have a chance to react before she stabbed the length of it into his eye and kicked his form off of her. He collapsed into a wailing pile upon the floor, holding his eyes as blood poured from the wound.

There was a flash of black and red, and Ceres could only blink and then scream herself hoarse as the sight of a dark, menacing spiked war hammer smashed the offending man in the side of the head. 

His body flew across the area like a piece of beaten meat, and Ceres dare not glance upon the mushed up man. She couldnt even scream anymore, her eyes were wide with utter terror as a dark, eleven foot shadow stood above her, crimson eyes staring down at her compromising form.

And yet this beast was not eying her like a man would gaze upon a woman's nakedness. He was merely calculating her reaction. Ceres huddled in on herself nonetheless, eyes frantic and teary as her arms tried their best to make her appear modest. 

The monstrous man slowly dropped his hammer to the ground. Ceres flinched, but did not move in fear of his next action. Then, slowly, the man put a hand behind his back before retrieving what appeared to be a clean, beautiful fabric. 

A dress.

Ceres blinked, wiping at the tears on her eyes as she shakily reached a hand out. This person was obviously a God, even if he did appear to look like something from the underworld; there was nothing holy about him. 

"T-thank you." She stuttered, voice cracking in fear. The God nodded once, eyes dull with emotion and yet alight with power. He turned his back.

Ceres took that as a clue to dress herself. Hurriedly, the woman threw on the light green dress - peculiarly reminiscent of her old dress - and gestured with a simple sentence for the man to turn. He did. 

And yet he said nothing. He was silent, watchful. Those eyes were so familiar. 

"Who are you?" Ceres questioned meekly, standing at a great distance from the frightening God.

He appeared to deliberate, head cocking almost irritably to the sky, as though he were..glaring at someone. The angle showcased his chiseled, stubbled jaw. 

"Ares." He uttered.

"Thats..thats the God of War." Ceres spoke warily, drawing in on herself and back stepping as the God took a step towards her. 

"Indeed."

For a God of War, he appeared oddly emotionless. Ceres assumed the man would be full of anger, or boisterous emotion. 

"Will you hurt me?" Her voice lowered considerably into a whisper, hands gripping feebly at the sword she could not wield. The God of War followed her hand movement's, eyes raising only a fraction in what appeared to be slight mockery of either her bravery or her foolishness. 

"No. I've saved you far too often to simply kill you." He voiced seriously, gazing around the forestry area with little interest. 

"Im grateful for that. Who knows what that heathen would've done if you hadnt intervened, my lor--ah, My God? My.." Ceres stumbled over words, "Im sorry, I'm unsure what title befits a God."

Ares didn't respond. It made Ceres blush in humiliation at her childish anxiety, even if it did make sense, given the fact she was almost raped. 

"Did your pet convey my gratitude?"

Ares tilted his head now, a slight frown of confusion upon his handsome face. 

"The..vulture. You have the same eyes as it, i just assumed-- not wrongly, I hope -- that it was your pet." Ceres stuttered again, hands merging together in nervous habit. This God was so cold.

Ares glared up at the sky; he could hear Apollo laughing at the mortals naivety. Bastard. 

And then, in a blink, the God was in front of her and Ceres couldn't help but stumble back in fright, shrieking at the obscenely large God staring down at her with those menacing eyes. A large hand wrapped around her wrist, preventing her from falling. 

Ceres flushed, neck hurting at how far she had to crane it upwards. The man was massive. A lingering anger seemed to exude off of his dark form like invisible flames. Ceres did not believe she would incur the God of Wars interest, for why would a being born to bathe in the essence of battle seek her out?

There was an odd gentleness to him, as though did not not truly know how to conduct himself. Of course, he was confident, stone faced even, and yet the hand grasping her wrist seemed out of place, hesitant. 

Affection wasn't his domain, Ceres thought. Her wary, wide eyed expression settled into a light smile, a simple quirk of her lips in brief acknowledgement of her trust, even if the giant did terrify her.

His eyes depicted disinterest in her being, and yet Ceres could only stare up at him in shy adoration. He was.. far too handsome. She had never seen a God before, but assumed they all were as perfect as he. 

Even if one did not have an acquired taste for dark, looming men wielding war hammers, Ceres didn't think anybody could deny his own personal attractiveness. His peculiarly short hair was not a cut she had often seen; men tended to allow their hair to grow moderately. It fitted the God well, made him look like a true God of War with its masculine roughness. 

His stubbled, peppering of hair upon his jaw exuded the same masculine rawness. There were those with beards, and those without; he appeared to have found a medium of the two. It suited him far too well, and those Ruby eyes - perfect for embodying war and the chaos of it all. 

Ceres meekly fluttered her eyes down to the mans shoulders and arms. So strong, muscular. Terrifying in battle, no doubt. Ceres couldn't prevent the blush dusting her cheeks even if she tried. 

Mortifyingly, Ceres blinked out of her dazed appreciation of the God and most likely converted to the same shade of red as his eyes upon witnessing him staring at her patiently, waiting. 

Peculiarly, the God appeared.. flustered. Not so much evidenced in his pale cheeks, it was moreso the way his strong eyes shifted to the side now and again, for brief moments. The act made his face soften just the slightest. 

Ceres must've been a cherry by now and promptly stood back, exiting the intoxicating aura of this man. Who would've thought her mind would descend into such preposterous territory after only mere moments ago she was preyed upon by a devious soldier. 

Ceres wasn't very normal, she supposed. Who would be, though, when in the presence of such a mighty God?

"I will return shortly." His deep mutter had her jolting in shock; he was a silent man, from what she has witnessed thus far. Ceres could only nod dumbly as the God stood back a few feet, eyes trained intensely on her, and vanished into thin air with a resounding bang of departure. 

Ceres truly did not know what she did to inspire the Gods brief interest. Regardless, she could already feel her flesh tingling in excitement. 

Perhaps something more, too. Knowing that the God watches her, she couldnt commit any ludicrous acts upon herself anymore..

Or had he been watching the whole time?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so grateful to any kudos and comments omg. Petition for more ares love! 🥰 
> 
> I swear I'm about to descend into full blown smut with the majority of BoZ characters..


End file.
